After the Supreme Court invalidated his previous trade policy, President Trump used emergency laws to mandate new 15% tariffs.
WASHINGTON — In a weekend of rapid-fire legal and economic maneuvering, President Donald Trump announced a new 15% global tariff on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The move serves as a direct and defiant response to a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling just 24 hours earlier that had declared his previous tariff regime illegal.
The President’s latest action shifts the legal foundation of his trade policy from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. By doing so, Trump is attempting to preserve his “America First” agenda while navigating a rare judicial check on his executive authority.
The Judicial Blow: SCOTUS Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs
On Friday, February 20, the Supreme Court issued a landmark 6-3 decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump . The Court ruled that the executive branch exceeded its authority by using IEEPA—a 1977 law intended for national emergencies—to impose sweeping, permanent tariffs.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, argued that the power to tax and set duties is reserved for Congress under Article I of the Constitution. The ruling effectively invalidated hundreds of billions of dollars in “Reciprocal Tariffs” collected throughout 2025. Justice Roberts noted that the term “regulate importation” within IEEPA does not grant the President “unbounded” power to levy taxes. Notably, two of Trump’s own appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, joined the majority, prompting the President to issue a series of scathing social media posts, labeling the decision “anti-American.”
The Pivot to Section 122
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